Hotchner Christmas
by Kadeeleigh
Summary: The Hotchner family meets their newest member
1. Chapter 1

The first snow storm of the season had just hit the DC area. Aaron was thankful that the worst of it was passing through on a weekend that found the team at home, rather than on the road. Breakfast was over, and Jack had parked himself in the middle of the couch with a bag of popcorn and the remote in his hand. Hotch smiled to himself, before realizing that he hadn't seen Spencer for at least an hour.

While most adults weren't able to get into much trouble in a mere 60 minutes, his experience had taught him that a quiet Spencer could be worrisome.

Searching the house methodically, Hotch found the young genius sitting cross-legged on the floor in the formal living room, staring up at the fully decorated Christmas tree. The smell of the fresh pine brought a smile to his face. He leaned against the door jam, watching Spencer carefully. He was amazed at the breadth of emotion he was seeing reflected in the man's eyes, as they watched the tree lights twinkle.

Moving soundlessly, Aaron sat behind Spencer, straddling him between his legs, pulling his lover tight against his chest. "You're thinking about something…care to share?"

Spencer turned and smiled at Aaron, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "It's beautiful, isn't it." Stated the young man with the sound of wonder in his voice.

"You did a fantastic job decorating it…Jack will be excited."

"I'm excited too…is the first Christmas tree that I've had since I was 12."

The look of confusion on Aaron's face caused Spencer to sigh before relaxing into the older man's arms. "Before my Dad left, we did the Christmas thing…to a point, I guess. I figured out that there was no Santa Claus by the time I was three…the physics just didn't add up."

Aaron chuckled as his mind imagined a bespectacled toddler calculating the acceleration necessary to propel the cumulative weight of a jolly old man, his magical reindeer and a bottomless sleigh around the entire world in one night.

Spencer gave him an embarrassed smile before continuing. "That first Christmas after he was gone, Mom tried hard to make the holiday special, but by that time, her illness had become more pervasive. She had a few good days…good, bordering on frantic, I guess you could say. I came home from school one day, and she had decorated the house and the tree, shopped for presents, wrapped them, and had them waiting for me. I was so happy…it felt so normal…normal is good."

Aaron tightened his grip on the younger man. "…there's a _but_ coming…"

"You could say that. A few days later, she had a bad day. When I got home, everything was a mess. The Christmas tree and all the decorations were shredded…she had ripped open all of the presents, and destroyed everything inside. Her hands and feet were cut to ribbons from the broken Christmas tree ornaments, and the holly wreaths. When I asked her what happened, she looked at me with these wild eyes. Apparently, at some point in the morning the phone rang...she never answered the phone on her bad days. Anyway, she became convinced that the call had been from the government, and that it had activated cameras and assorted listening devices which had been cleverly hidden somewhere within the Christmas tree."

Hotch rested his chin on Spencer's shoulder, as he squeezed the young man tightly.

"Well, we don't have to worry this year, Babe...I swept for bugs and cameras before we brought the tree into the house. Besides...we ARE the government."

Spencer began to giggle at Aaron's proclamation, turning quickly to tackle his lover playfully, both men wrestling for the most advantageous tickling angle. Hearing the commotion, Jack ran to the room, and jumped on top of the two men, adding to the dog pile on the living room floor.

Hotch barely heard the door bell ring over their shouts and laughter. "Shhhh," said Aaron as he strained to identify the sound that he had heard.

The doorbell rang a second time, as he disentangled himself from the pile. "Its probably carolers," he added with a smile, as he made his way to the front door.

Excited at the prospect of carol singers, Spencer grabbed up Jack, and ran after Hotch. "Aaron...if they are carolers, can you ask them to sing _We Three Kings_? I love that song..."

Aaron opened the door, but instead of welcoming festive singers, Reid could see his lover's frame become instantly tense. A jolt of fear and adrenaline rushed through the young doctor's body. He gripped Jack tightly, and started to back up slowly. "Aaron...who is it?" Spencer asked quietly.

Spencer saw his lover gesture for he and Jack to stay back. Worried, Spencer continued walking backwards towards the kitchen until he heard his boss greet the unexpected visitors.

"Mother...Sean...what are you doing here?"

The pronouncement stopped the young genius in his tracks. The panic he was feeling was over-ridden only by his desire to protect Jack from his mostly absent grandmother. He whirled around to head into the kitchen at the exact moment that Jessica came through the door from the garage. Spencer yelped, while Jack and Jessica laughed at him.

"Spencer...Spence...I didn't mean to scare you, I'm so sorry." exclaimed Jess with a giggle. "I went to do some last minute Christmas shopping, but the weather turned so fast. I barely made it this far before they closed the roads. Hey...did you know that your mother-in-law is out front?"

OoO

Hotch still had yet to fully open the front door. "Mother...aren't you supposed to be in Europe by now?" asked Aaron coldly.

"Darling, don't look so put out. I thought you would be overjoyed to have some company for Christmas, seeing as how Haley isn't around anymore." As she spoke, she pushed her eldest son aside, and entered the townhouse. Sean followed her closely, mouthing his silent apology.

Hotch closed the door roughly, and turned to face his mother. "It isn't so much that Haley isn't around, Mother...we divorced, and then she was murdered."

Unfazed by Aaron's pronouncement, she continued. "The point is, Darling, that you and that adorable little grandson of mine are alone on Christmas...what kind of mother would I be if flew off to Paris without spending time with my boys?"

Rolling his eyes at his younger brother, he turned once again to address his mother in an exaggerated tone. "Mother! What a happy surprise. I am so glad that you and Sean came by for a visit."

Sean grinned. In a whisper he added, "If the airports were still open, neither of us would have even known she was on the East Coast. She called me to pick her up after she was grounded at La Guardia. Then, she whined and moaned and fanned herself until I agreed to drive her to Dulles. I was truly hoping to beat the storm and get her on a flight, but..." The younger man gave an embarrassed shrug, before following his mother into the living room.

OoO

Spencer and Jessica listened to the conversation from their hiding place in the kitchen. In a whisper, Jessica asked, "Why are we hiding? Doesn't she like you."

Spencer smiled guiltily. "She doesn't know that I exist. Aaron and I talked about it, and we decided that she was so...how do you say it...absent, that she wouldn't notice for years."

Jessica looked confused. "You thought that it would take her years to figure out that you were married?"

"Pretty much, yes."

Jessica touched his cheek gently. "Spencer...you love him and he loves you. She needs to know."

The youngest Hotchner looked up at his father with concern. "Grandma doesn't know that your my Daddy?"

"Jack, baby, it is a long story. You know that your Dad and I and Aunt Jess love you very much. That is all that we need. Your Grandmother isn't...doesn't...she wouldn't understand."

"What wouldn't she understand?"

Jessica took control of the conversation. "Jack, baby...older people don't feel comfortable when relationships are...not what they expect."

"What do you mean?" asked Jack in confusion.

Spencer smiled sheepishly. "I think your Grandmother would expect your father to marry someone more like your Mom..."

"You mean...she would rather have him marry a girl." stated Jack with childlike understanding.

"Exactly!" responded Reid.

Jessica looked at the two and shook her head. "So is the plan to hide in the kitchen until the storm is over?"

OoO

Out in the living room, Aaron attempted to make small talk with his mother, while continuing to glance towards the unopened kitchen door.

"Sean...be a dear and whip me up some of that delicious eggnog you made last year." Their mother waved her hand as she spoke, basically dismissing her younger son to go labor in the kitchen.

Aaron saw his opportunity. "Sean...come with me. I'll show you where everything is." He extended his arm and guided his brother towards the kitchen.

Once within reach of the swinging door, Hotch pushed hard on his brother's back and hustled them both through the door quickly. Hotch smiled broadly at the scene in front of him. Sean had nearly run over Spencer who had been crouching by the door, listening. He was now splayed out on the floor halfway across the room, with Jessica attempting unsuccessfully to pull him to his feet. Jack, on the other hand, had seen his uncle enter, and jumped at full speed into his arms.

Aaron immediately went to Spencer's rescue, pulling the young genius deftly to his feet, and into his arms. Sean's head whipped to the side when he noticed his older brother...the stoic, serious and straight Aaron Hotchner, kiss the tall lanky stranger in front of him.

Sean set Jack down slowly. "Bro...is there something you want to tell me?"

Aaron and Spencer turned to face Sean. Aaron opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when Jess stepped between them and held out her hand to Sean. "I don't know if you remember me...we met at Aaron and Haley's wedding...I'm Jessica, Haley's sister."

"What _are_ you doing back here, Jess?" asked Aaron, in a futile attempt to avoid answering his brother.

Jessica smiled sweetly and turned to face her brother-in-law. "Well, I had some last minute shopping to do and..."

"Stop!" yelled Sean. "Just stop trying to avoid this Aaron. You were just kissing that guy!"

All heads turned to stare at a sheepish looking Spencer. In an attempt to avoid eye contact with his brother-in-law, the young genius reached out to Jack. "Want to go outside and play in the snow, Buddy?"

Jack giggled. "Daddy, its a blizzard...that isn't safe, is it?"

"Daddy? Did he just call him Daddy?" asked Sean warily.

"I'll just be out here in the garage if you need me." mumbled Reid as he turned and attempted to squeeze himself through the garage door without letting in the chilly air.

"Babe...Spencer...it's cold out there...you'll catch your death." As Aaron said this, he grabbed on to Spencer's hand, and pulled him away from the door.

"Sean, this is Dr. Spencer Reid-Hotchner...my husband, Jack's adopted father, and your new brother-in-law. He's shy, and would apparently rather go stand in the very deep snow, than meet my family."

"Aaron...that's not fair...I was just...um...what are we going to tell your mother?"

Sean's eyes grew wide in fear. "We can't tell her anything until after I make the eggnog. Possibly not until she has had two or three glasses...maybe more. I CANNOT become the good son because you went crazy."

OoO

From the comfort of the living room, Mrs. Hotchner heard an eruption of laughter from the kitchen. She entered without being noticed, and stood to the side as her sons worked together making eggnog. Jack was emptying the contents of the refrigerator, based upon a list repeated to him by a strange man in a sweater vest, and a female that resembled her former daughter-in-law laughed at the men from the sidelines.

Finally the elder woman decided to make her presence known. She cleared her throat, which brought the entire kitchen to a stand-still. "Aaron, Dear...aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

All eyes fell on Hotch. He looked towards the ground, steeled his jaw, than looked back at his mother with a smile. "Well, Mother...you know that you haven't been around for a while, and there have been some changes in my life and Jack's."

Mrs. Hotchner stared blankly at her son. "Changes?" She scanned the group, and suddenly smiled. "Aaron...is there a special someone in your life?" The older woman walked quickly to Jessica and pulled her into a tight hug. "Welcome to the family, Dear. I could see that you were Aaron's type the minute I walked in...why have you been hiding in the kitchen like a common servant? We must get to know each other...has anyone ever told you that you look exactly like Aaron's ex-wife Hillary?"

"Her name was Haley, Mother...and this is Haley's sister, Jessica. She takes care of Jack when Spencer and I are working."

"Spencer? Is that a family name? Why would anyone name their daughter Spencer? Where is her family from?"

Aaron smiled and put his arm firmly around his husband's shoulder. "Mother...this is my husband, Spencer."

Reid smiled shyly and gave a hesitant wave to his mother-in-law.

"Spencer and I got married in DC six months ago...he adopted Jack...we're a family...part of your family, Mother."

Sean smiled. "Eggnog is almost ready, Mother...I think you'll need some...we'll be here a while."


	2. Chapter 2

_Spencer voice-over:_

_**Cherish your human connections – your relationships with friends and family. **_

**_- _Barbara Bush**

Mrs. Hotchner sat stiffly in the formal living room dialing a variety of numbers on her cell phone. Sean had brought her a second mug of eggnog, but she still had not spoken since the scene in the kitchen. Her eldest son had tried several times to engage his mother in some semblance of a conversation regarding his recent wedding, but so far had only been met with an icy glare.

"I didn't realize that the Hotchner 'death glare' was inherited," said Spencer as he peeked around the corner towards the living room. "I had always assumed that it developed gradually after years of grilling Unsubs."

Hotch chuckled as he elbowed Spencer in the ribs. "This is our house, and I refuse to hide in our kitchen on Christmas Eve.

"Is there another room that's safer?" asked Sean. "At least in here we have food and water..."

"Dad?" asked the small boy currently sitting at the kitchen table.

"Yea, Buddy? What do you need?"

"It's boring in here, and that lady is mean. Can I go play in my room?"

Aaron leaned down and gave Jack a bear hug. "You bet, Buddy...and don't worry, her bark is much worse than her bite."

"She barks?" asked Jack incredulously.

Sean laughed as he picked up his nephew. "That's a figure of speech little man...it means that she is all talk...why don't I join you. You can show me your room."

Jack was all smiles as his uncle put him on his shoulders and exited the kitchen.

Aaron took another peek towards the living room as Sean and Jack exit the kitchen. "It looks like she's finished her second mug of eggnog...I'll bring her another."

Spencer and Jessica gave encouraging smiles as Hotch filled another mug and headed towards his mother.

When her eldest son offered her another drink, Kitty Hotchner snorted with derision. "What kind of backwards place is this that I can't get a taxi."

"This is our Nation's Capitol, Mother...it isn't backwards, its just that no one else is stubborn enough to want to go out in a blizzard." Aaron ran a hand through his hair before continuing. "Mother...why don't you just relax for once and enjoy Christmas Eve with your family."

"Family? Family? This is no family of mine," she shrieked. "How could you shame me like this, Aaron? I raised you better..."

"Mother!" growled Hotch, in the voice normally reserved for Unsubs. "You didn't raise me at all Mother...I did that myself. While you were at Cotillions and Garden Parties socializing and getting drunk, I was at home protecting Sean from Father. I was the one that made sure that he had done his homework and ate his dinner. It was me who tucked him in at night, and read to him after you came home and passed out. And you know what Mother? Sean and I turned out just fine...even if we may have sullied the family name a bit...beside, you may want to check with your friends...I think that having a gay son is now the hot new accessory."

Livid, Aaron made his way back into the kitchen. Seeing the distressed look on Spencer's face, he pulled him into a hug. "I wanted this to be the best Christmas you ever had. I never wanted to add to bad memories for you." Aaron's eyes glistened with tears. "I am so sorry, Babe."

"Aaron...don't forget...I am unexpectedly charming, and at the same time, disarmingly pitiful. I bring out the motherly instincts in...well, in everyone I've ever met." said Spencer with a glint in his eye.

Jess nodded enthusiastically. "I have to agree...since I met Spencer, I have never wanted to be a mother more..."

oOo

Spencer entered the living room carefully. "Ma'am...I thought I should introduce myself." He held his hand out tentatively. "My name is Spencer...Dr. Spencer Reid...actually, Dr. Spencer Reid-Hotchner."

Mrs. Hotchner stared at the hand offered to her and snorted. "Are you a medical doctor, _Mr._ Reid?"

"Please, call me Spencer...and no, not a medical doctor...just doctorates in Mathematics, Chemistry and Engineering."

Mrs. Hotchner stole a quick glance at the man before her. "Are you older than you look?"

Spencer bowed his head shyly, and sat on the floor, facing the Christmas tree. "Not really, ma'am, no. I, uh..."

Cutting Spencer off, she continued. "How did you meet my son?"

"We work together."

The older woman looked him over with derision. "I hardly think that the FBI would find value in hiring someone like you."

Reid knew the comments would come, and had prepared himself for being the scapegoat, but he was determined to face her condemnations gracefully. He also planned on making her work for it. "Someone like me, ma'am?"

"Sexual deviants and the like..."

The young genius' body stiffened visibly, before quickly shaking it off. "Well, they may not have been aware, seeing as how that isn't exactly a question they ask on the application."

"Well, they should..." said Mrs. Hotchner, matter-of-factly.

"Who should what?" asked Aaron as he entered the living room quietly.

Spencer turned to his husband with a grin. "We were just positing as to whether they should have a question on the FBI application to help weed out the sexual deviants."

"MOTHER!" exclaimed Hotch loud enough to startle the entire house.

Jessica opened the kitchen door and peeked out at the same time that Sean came down the stairs. They looked at each other, then towards the living room. Sean shrugged his shoulders, and walked into the fray.

As Sean entered the living room, Aaron turned to his husband. "Babe...would you mind helping Jessica in the kitchen? She mentioned preparing a light lunch to tide us over until our Christmas Eve feast."

Reid looked into Aaron's eyes, raising a knowing eyebrow. "Sure...I think we can whip up something." Spencer unfolded his legs like a flamingo, and held up his hand to Hotch for assistance.

The older man smiled, and pulled his husband up and into his arms, giving him a warm peck on the cheek before pushing him towards the kitchen. "Don't get into any trouble in there," said Aaron with a teasing grin.

oOo

Without the help of their in-house chef, Reid and Jess were able to put together an kid-friendly feast of chicken nuggets, pigs-in-a-blanket and a vegetable tray.

Ignoring the obvious icy chill in the living room, they laid out their spread on the floor, as if it was a picnic. Jack was thrilled at the unexpectedly casual meal, and dropped unceremoniously onto Spencer's lap, as he sat on the floor. Spencer hugged his son tightly, and helped him fill a plate, before grabbing some food for himself.

As if by unspoken agreement, the group chose to ignore the elephant in the room, and decided to give in to the festive nature of their gathering. Soon, laughter took over the gathering, and the family...minus one, began to celebrate the day.

Katherine "Kitty" Hotchner sat dumbfounded, watching her sons behaving in a way that was totally foreign to her. She had raised her boys to be better than this...moral...proper. Their behavior was unacceptable.

oOo

"Spencer," said Jessica. "The tree is beautiful...you are a natural decorator."

"Actually, this is my first Christmas tree in 18 years," stated the young genius. "I think this is the culmination of what my imagination envisioned over all those years."

Aaron saw his mother shift slightly on the couch. Suddenly, she spoke. "Were your parents part of that Jehovah's Witness cult?"

Reid suppressed a grin as responded quietly. "No, ma'am, they weren't. My father left when I was ten, and my mother...my mother is ill. Celebrations are hard for her."

Jack took the opportunity to comfort his Daddy. He sat gently in Spencer's lap and wrapped his arms around his neck, before placing a kiss on his cheek. Suddenly, he turned to his grandmother. "Grandma Reid writes me a letter every day. I tell her all about my school, I make pictures for her, and sometimes she helps me with my homework." His proud smile caused Reid to grin and pull the boy into a huge bear-hug, which quickly devolved into a continuation of the earlier tickle fight.

Deep laughter and childish giggles filled the living room. Jessica squealed as Aaron pulled her into the fray, and Sean took the opportunity to get back at his big brother for years of torture.

Christmas music played in the background as Kitty Hotchner watched four full grown adults and one 7 year old give themselves over to the joy of a family that had pieced together themselves from sadness and tragedy, loneliness and grief. She wanted to understand. She could see that her young grandson was the focus, but the young man...this shy young man was the glue...even Sean seemed less stressed and happier than she had seen him in many years.

TBC...Reviews welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

Sean prepared a wonderfully simple Christmas morning feast. Kitty Hotchner chose to eat by herself in the formal dining room, while the others gathered in the kitchen. Luckily for Aaron and Spencer, by Christmas morning the blizzard had subsided enough for the roads to be cleared and the planes to be de-iced. Spencer kept Jack entertained with Christmas folklore while Aaron and his brother said their goodbyes.

"Ya know, bro...I really wasn't too keen on driving all the way to DC, but I am glad I did. A very insightful trip!" said Sean as he gave his brother a bear hug.

Aaron laughed. "Well, I guess this spoils my announcement for the family reunion in July."

Sean threw his hands up in mock surrender. "I don't know about that dude...they aren't gonna hear this story from me...I would just be accused of spreading lies about my perfect older brother."

The Hotchner brothers hugged each other one more time before they heard an exaggerated huff from their mother.

Aaron took a deep breath and put on a smile before he turned to his mother. "Mother...it was a delight to have you here for Christmas Eve. Have a wonderful winter season in Paris." Her eldest son leaned in, and lightly kissed the cheek she offered.

The stoic women gave an icy glare in her son's direction. "We'll talk about this again, once I return."

Aaron's frustration showed. "Mother...there is nothing to discuss. I'm married, and that isn't going to change."

"We'll see, my darling...I'll make some calls." With that, she turned and strode out of the house.

Sean gave Aaron a sheepish smile. "Maybe she can plead temporary insanity on your behalf at the annulment."

The elder son threw his head back in frustration. "Fuck you and Merry Christmas, Sean."

oOo

Over a month had passed since Aaron and Spencer's secret had been unintentionally made a family affair. Logically, Aaron knew that his mother was in another country, and that her influence was not somehow haunting their relationship, but the shame that she had communicated during her visit had affected him. He feared that it had also affected Spencer. Hotch would never be able to forgive himself for allowing...no matter how indirectly...his genius to ever feel the cold feeling of rejection again.

These thoughts followed him constantly, and subtly began to flavor how he treated his young husband. Flowers every Friday...Sunday breakfasts in bed...date night every Tuesday.

At first, Spencer, found it amusing...he had never considered himself high maintenance, yet Aaron continued to lavish attention on him. The team had begun to notice, and begun to tease the young agent. He knew he needed to confront his over-attentive husband.

OOo

"So..." began Reid as he received his Sunday breakfast in bed. "Is there anything that you want to tell me, Aaron?"

"We were out of sausage?" asked Aaron, as he surveyed to breakfast tray in his hands.

Reid smiled sweetly. "Aaron...put the tray down and come over here," said the young genius as he patted the bed beside him.

Reluctantly, he sat the tray down on the chest of drawers, and crawled over to lay next to Spencer. "The food is going to get cold..."

"Aaron...are you cheating on me?"

The shock in Hotch's eyes at the question, broke Reid's heart a little. "I would never..."

"Are you thinking that you might take your mother up on her offer to facilitate an annulment?"

"Spencer!" cried Aaron, as he put his hand gently against the young Doctor's cheek. "Never, ever...NO." Tears formed in his eyes as he shook his head. "Why would you think that?"

Spencer smiled, and kissed his husband gently. "Then quit treating me like I'm a porcelain doll, Babe. Don't get me wrong...I love the flowers, and the breakfast in bed...but the rest of the team is teasing me." Reid pulled the older Agent into his arms. "Aaron...you had flowers delivered to the police station in Austin last week."

He felt his boss begin to chuckle in his arms, his body shaking as the chuckle became a hearty laughter. "Don't get me wrong...lilies are my favorite flower, but really, Aaron? The girls have been interrogating me about my bedroom skills...it's frankly embarrassing."

Hotch squeezed his husband tightly, his head resting on the young genius' chest. He listened to the steady thump of his husband's heartbeat, taking comfort in the young man's mere presence. "My mother..." began Aaron.

"Stop. Stop that right now. You can't take responsibility for the things that come out of your mother's mouth...holy crap, if I had to do that with my mother...well, I would probably still be apologizing to my grade school teachers."

"I love you, Spencer, and I want you to know that every, single day."

"I love you too, Aaron, and I love our family...all of our family, whether they love us or not. We are lucky though..."

"Lucky how? My mother thinks you're dragging me to hell."

Spencer laughed at the visual. "Do I have you by the hair? That could be kinky!"

Hotch gave Spencer a light punch in the ribs. "Okay, okay. We, Agent Hotchner, are lucky because we have a family beyond our family. We have each other, and we have Jack, and we have Jess and we also have the team. Every single day, we are surrounded by people who love us unconditionally...what could be better than that?"

Hotch took the opportunity to role over on his back, and stare at the ceiling. Pondering the realities of life, through the eyes of the smartest man he knows, he smiled.

TBC- Reviews appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

"Why is it..." asked JJ as they exited the jet, "that we always end up in Florida during Spring Break?"

Reid considered her question. "It does seem to be a statistical anomaly. I could calculate the parameters, but off the top of my head, I imagine that the influx of a transient population, coupled with the relative anonymity of the vacationing hoards might be a factor."

Rossi nodded. "Add to that the increase in high risk potential victims and the fact that most young adults profile as psychopaths..."

"...makes Fort Lauderdale, in April, an Unsub's paradise." finished Morgan with a shrug and a smile.

"I just wish that our witnesses had been slightly less inebriated." continued Alex.

Rossi chuckled. "When they witnessed the kidnappings, or when we interviewed them?"

"BOTH!" said the entire team at once.

The team had reached their vehicles, and proceeded to stow their luggage as Hotch addressed the team. "It's 3:00 pm on Friday. Let's worry about the reports on Monday. Everyone go home and enjoy your weekend."

Settled into their SUV, Spencer smiles suggestively. "So, we have the afternoon off, huh?"

Aaron tries to remain stoic, but the look on his lover's face was very distracting. "I thought that we might take advantage of the fact that Jack is out of town, and have ourselves a Date Night."

Spencer's smile was intoxicating. Aaron wished that he could see that look every moment of every day. In their line of work, that was not possible, but he cherished the times he could make his partner smile like that.

"I was thinking..." began Hotch. "...that we could stop at Jaleo for some tapas and Sangria."

Spencer looked at his supervisor guardedly. "And?"

"And Crystal City has better parking than The Gunston Theater."

Spencer's eyes turned quickly from confusion to unadulterated elation. "Oh...Aaron...really, you got the tickets? No, way! How? When?"

Hotch couldn't contain his smile any longer. "I knew a guy, who knew a guy...who had absolutely no idea what to do with his two tickets to _Voodoo Macbeth_. Since I DID know what to do with them..."

Spencer, in his excitement, cut his lover off mid-sentence. "_Voodoo Macbeth _is widely considered to be Orson Welles' first, great, masterpiece. An all black theater production of Macbeth, performed in Harlem in the '30s...I mean...it was inspirational. I heard that Welles even cast an authentic Voodoo Priestess in the role of Hecate, and an actual animal sacrifice was performed by the cast prior to..."

"Babe, Babe...you've been talking about this for a month." interrupted Aaron, with a squeeze to his husband's thigh. "I'm excited to see it too, but...'Spoilers', remember?"

Hearing Aaron quoting Doctor Who's wife, River Song, brought a huge smile to Spencer's face. He was determined not to say anymore, but his excitement caused his knees to begin to bounce, and fingers to twitch.

Aaron's heart was singing at the excitement that radiated from his young genius. Spencer's joy was palpable, making their mood and their meal, one of rare celebration.

Aaron wrapped his arms tightly around his young husband as they exited the restaurant, and placed a kiss on his cheek gently. "The theater is about a mile and a half from here. We should get there in plenty of time."

After sunset in Washington D.C., especially in early April, the temperature plummets rapidly. As the two men walked towards their destination, the senior Agent noticed his partner begin to shiver. Chivalry has always been a valued trait in the South, and Aaron was no stranger to the concept. He smiled, as he took off his suit coat and placed it around his husband's shoulders. Spencer grinned at him shyly, and grabbed a hold of the older man's arm and pulled him in tight, resting his head on Hotch's shoulder as they walked.

SSA Hotchner felt, rather than heard, the men approaching them from behind. Suddenly aware of a presence, his body tensed noticeably, causing Reid to straighten up, and rest his hand on the gun at his waist. Aaron also moved his hand to his gun, but before he was able to get a good grip, one of the men grabbed Spencer by the hair, and yanked him forcefully away.

The older Agent spun around, still fumbling with his weapon. Two men now had a hold of Spencer. Both men were massively built...especially when compared to his lanky young husband. One of the men had a meaty hand entwined in Spencer's long hair, his other hand held tightly to the genius' throat.

It was the second man that worried Hotch. Reid had yet to give up his gun, but his hand, and his weapon, were gripped tightly by the second attacker. Bile rose in Hotch's throat as the first attacker began to lick Spencer's face. Aaron growled deep in his chest, as he secured his grip on his weapon. He raised the gun and yelled, "Freeze. FBI."

The two men holding Reid looked up at Hotch and laughed, just as he was grabbed from behind by yet another set of meaty hands. Aaron tried to fight off the much larger man, but he had been so focused on Spencer, he hadn't adequately prepared himself for a rear attack. The senior agent fell to the ground after the third man slammed his head into the side of a building. Before he blacked out, he locked eyes with Spencer, and hoped that he knew how very much he loved him.

oOo

Hotch awoke to the sound of sirens. His vision was blurry, but he could see rescue workers covering a body in front of him. He began to get to his feet, but was held in place by a strong hand. "Aaron? Aaron, it's Dave. You need to stay where you are until the medics can get a look at your head."

Dave? Why was Dave there? Where was Spencer? "Spencer? Where is Spencer?" Hotch yelled.

Aaron shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Pain took over, until Dave came back into his field of vision. He grabbed Rossi by the front of his shirt and yelled. "TAKE ME TO SPENCER...NOW!"

The ride to the hospital was the longest of Aaron Hotchner's life. Dave rode in the front of the ambulance, while Hotch was being taken care of in the back. Several times, he had to move to assist the EMT, who was having trouble keeping Aaron on the gurney.

Returning from getting an MRI, Hotch saw that his entire team was in the waiting room. Overwhelmed by SSA Hotchner's determination, the Emergency Room staff chose to let the team in to see their leader, rather than risking the chance that their patient would bolt from their care.

Morgan was the first one into the room. "Hotch..." he said as he pulled a chair up beside the hospital bed. "The doctor said that you'll be able to go home tomorrow. They just want to keep an eye on you overnight."

"I could care less what these doctors want." growled Aaron. "I want to see Spencer, and I want to see him NOW."

Morgan's chuckle caught Hotch off-guard. "Hotch...don't worry..." said Morgan as he held his boss down. "Pretty Boy's fine. Well, fine may be an overstatement, but he'll be out of surgery soon, and we'll make sure that you two get a double room."

"Fine? How can he be fine...I saw..." Aaron's eyes filled with tears. "I saw a body bag, Morgan...I saw it!"

Rossi entered silently, and stood behind Morgan. "As I tried to tell you over and over again on the way here, Aaron...that wasn't Spencer."

"Not Spencer? But there were three of them? Two of them were all over him...What happened?"

At that moment, one of the nurses came in to chase the visitors out, so they could move their patient to his room. Hotch started to fight, demanding to know where his husband was, and refusing to be moved until he understood what was going on.

Suddenly, Penelope Garcia had had enough. "Sir! Lay down and be quiet, so that these people can do their jobs!" The entire room was quiet in an instant. "You will calm down, and once you get to your room, we will be able to tell you what we know...but not a minute sooner."

Hotch looked at the colorful woman sheepishly. "I'm sorry Garcia, but..."

Garcia frowned and raised a finger in his direction. "Not another word, Sir...I will not have you upsetting my baby."

The nursing staff, who had been trying to get him to calm down for over an hour, were impressed. They smiled cautiously at Garcia, and began rolling the bed towards the elevator. The sooner that they got the emotional man to his room, the sooner he would be someone else's problem.

oOo

Finally settled into his room, Hotch finally took control. "Alright...I want to know what is going on RIGHT NOW."

JJ could see the vein in Hotch's forehead begin to throb. "Sir...please...your head...you have a concussion."

He turned quickly towards the young woman's voice, with a look that would have made even the most hardened Unsub confess. The blonde threw up her hands in defense, and backed up. "Sorry, I didn't realize that getting mugged made you this testy."

Hotch closed his eyes for a moment, to regain control. Gritting his teeth, he opened his eyes, and struggled to remain calm. "Will someone please tell me...what happened tonight, and where is Spencer?" He inhaled deeply, and waited.

Rossi began. "I got a call from the D.C. Cops. They said that they had received a 911 call from a man claiming to be one of our agents, reporting a shooting near the corner of 23rd and Hayes in Arlington."

"A shooting? How did they know to call you?" asked a terrified Hotch.

"Let him get there, Sir." said Garcia forcefully.

Hotch nodded grimly. "Go ahead...I'm listening."

"The police told me that the caller gave them my number, but that they didn't have time for a trace before he hung up. I contacted Garcia, and had her trace the team's cell phones...when she traced your and Spencer's phones to 23rd, I got there as soon as I could."

Morgan spoke up next. "Rossi called me on the way to the crime scene, and we got there just in time to hear Captain America tell the cops what happened."

Aaron's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Captain America?"

"Screw you, Morgan." said Spencer with a smile as a nurse maneuvered his gurney into the room.

**Obviously there is more to come! - Reviews welcome.**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Official Report Narrative Incident #059-33276 (Arlington Police Officer Matthew J. Hale) — April 5, 2013 17:45:00**_

_**On the above date and time I was assigned to Car #3 along with Officer William Caulfield. We were dispatched to the 800 block of 23rd Street South, Arlington, VA on a report of a shots fired, possible mugging. Upon arrival, we met a White Female, Martha Carlton, DOB, 07/23/1957, who made the initial 911 call to the Arlington Police Department. She was distressed and attempting to stop the bleeding of a gunshot wound to Victim #1, later identified as Supervisory Special Agent Spencer Reid-Hotchner of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOB 10/09/1981. Reid-Hotchner had a gunshot wound to his upper left thigh, contusions to his neck and what appeared to be a broken right hand. Reid-Hotchner was conscious and lucid. Three other individuals were present at the scene, with major to moderate injuries, including Victim #2, later identified as Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Reid-Hotchner of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOB 11/02/1965. I immediately requested a medical unit, a supervisor and CSU to respond.**_

While waiting for the medical unit, I asked the witness, Martha Carlton, what had happened, and how long ago it had occurred. She said that it had just happened, ten minutes before I had arrived. She stated that she was leaving her job at the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, when she noticed three men in an altercation with the two FBI Agents. When asked how she was aware that they were FBI, she stated that Victim #2, SSA Aaron Reid-Hotchner, announced the fact to the suspects holding Victim #1, SSA Spencer Reid-Hotchner, before he was attacked from behind by a third suspect, currently unidentified. Mrs. Carlton witnessed the third suspect grab Victim # 2 and slam his head into the facade of The California Nail Salon located at 778 23rd South, Arlington, VA. According to Mrs. Carlton, when Victim #2 fell to the ground, Victim #1 became enraged. In the struggle to pull his own weapon, Victim #1 was shot in the leg. Suspect #3, startled by the gunshot, retrieved a weapon from Victim #2, Aaron Reid-Hotchner, and fired. Suspect #2, identified as Jon Arnold, DOB unknown, was hit by the bullet, and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Suspect #1, Jason Arnold, DOB unknown, was brought down by Victim #1, SSA Spencer Reid-Hotchner, who also returned fire, and wounded Suspect #3, before contacting Washington DC police detective, Harold Cohen, FBI liaison, requesting assistance. 

_**The witness, Mrs. Carlton, described the third suspect as a white male, 30 to 40 years old, approximately 6'5" tall, with a bald head. I immediately placed a BE ON THE LOOKOUT (BOLO) to all units in the area and all local hospitals.**_

He left the scene on foot, heading southbound on South Hayes Street.

When Fire Rescue arrived at 18:05:00, Paramedics Bernard and Torres checked and treated both the victims and the remaining suspect. CSU Officer Valentti arrived at 18:13:00 and brought Patrol Camera #2/CSU#6 to the scene. He took twenty-three (23) photos of all injuries and the crime scene before leaving to gather more forensic evidence at the hospital. Suspect #1 was transported in the first ambulance. He succumbed to his wounds en route. Victim #1 refused treatment, until SSAs David Rossi and Derek Morgan arrived on scene. I interviewed Victim #1 in the presence of SSAs Rossi and Morgan. He corroborated the witness' statement, and agreed to be interviewed again at a later time. SSA Morgan accompanied Victim #1 in the ambulance. SSA Rossi remained on-site until Victim #2 was prepped for transport.

Washington D.C. police detective, Harold Cohen, FBI liaison, Unit-109 was notified at 18:37:00 of the incident status. A copy of the report has been forwarded to him for further investigative follow-up. 

_**All evidence seized, Glock 17 (1), Smith & Wesson Model 65 Revolver, (1) Back pack (2), jacket (1), knives (2) and the photos taken were submitted to the property room.**_

_**Arlington Police: Sgt. C. Martinez, Sgt. J. Popp, Officers Hale, Caufield, Sullivan, Munley and Valentti.**_

_**Arlington Fire Department: S-2 Lt. Saulter, Morrison, E-2 Lt. Anderson**_

_**Pro-Ambulance: Paramedics N. Bernard and T. Torres**_


	6. Chapter 6

SSA Aaron Hotchner lowered the police report to his lap and looked over at his husband in the next bed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and blinked his eyes before he began. " According to this report, '_Victim #1 became enraged'..._Spencer?"

The young doctor smiled shyly and removed his glasses, before looking over at his lover. "I'm quite fond of your head...I didn't like what that Unsub did to it."

Aaron chuckled. "I didn't much like it either." Looking thoughtful for a moment, he broached his next question carefully. "Babe...the last thing I remember was seeing those two monsters all over you...they were big."

"You know that I could probably talk for an hour about the affects of adrenaline on the human body, but my throat still hurts quite a bit. Suffice to say that I really DO do my best work under extreme terror."

"Reid...two men are dead." stated Hotch sternly.

Spencer raised his eyebrows in amused surprise. "Reid, huh?"

Aaron exhaled slowly. "You know what I mean."

Reid crossed his arms, and turned his body as much as he could, facing away from his supervisor. "Oh, Agent Hotchner...I know exactly what you mean...will this be my official statement, Sir?"

"Spencer..." growled Hotch in controlled frustration. "Spencer...I'm not trying to interrogate you. I just want to know..."

"You want to know what happened, Hotch?" asked Morgan loudly as he barreled into the hospital. "Rossi and I just got back from the crime scene and the coroner's office..."

"...and apparently Morgan feels the need to gloat about himself and his '_mad skills'_ as a hand-to-hand training instructor." finished Rossi as he followed the larger agent into the room. "Other than that, how are the two of you feeling?"

Suddenly sensing tension, Rossi backtracked. "Would you rather we come back later, gentlemen? This can wait..."

Rossi got a dirty look from Spencer that stopped him in his tracks. "You might as well stay, Rossi. Apparently my supervisor is concerned that I might have used excessive force on the Unsub that had 4 inches and almost a hundred pounds on me."

"Spencer...that is not what I meant..." began Hotch, sitting up in his bed.

"I killed a man, Aaron...with my bare hands...to save you..." started the young genius with tears in his eyes. "I thought I was going to lose you." The young genius sobbed once, and turned away from his teammates, mindful of his gunshot wound. "Go a head, Rossi...he'll need to know eventually.

The three men looked over at their youngest agent, and finally noticed that his hair had been shaved in the back, and he sported a large bandage over the crown of his head.

Hotch looked quizzically at the other two men, before turning his attention back to his husband. "Babe?"

"Sleeping..." said the young genius stubbornly.

"You are not sleeping, Pretty Boy." stated Morgan forcefully.

"Am too." huffed Reid.

"Kid...are you gonna tell us what happened to your head?" asked Rossi in a sympathetic tone.

"No need...you and Morgan figured everything out."

Aaron closed his eyes for a moment. "The first guy...he had Spencer by the hair and the throat."

Concern showed on Morgan's face. "What did you do, kid?"

"Nothing," said Reid hostilely. "Can we just not talk about this? Please?"

Spencer turned to look at his friends, and realized that there wasn't going to be any way that he would be able to get out of this. "Fine...Rossi, please go ahead and record this, because I'm only going to say it once."

"Babe..."

Reid glared at his supervisor. "Don't, Hotch. Just let me give my statement."

Hotch frowned, but would not back down. He got out of his bed and shuffled over to Spencer's carefully. Spencer gave his lover a dirty look, and pulled up the side rail on his bed. Aaron smiled softly, as he let the bed rail down, and got into bed beside his husband. "Babe...I am sorry if you thought that I was accusing you of something, or if you thought I didn't think you were capable."

Rossi and Morgan wandered to the far side of the room during the intimate conversation, counting holes in the ceiling tiles to pass the time.

Hotch continued to whisper in his husband's ear. "I was so afraid that I had lost you...terrified that I hadn't been able to protect you."

"Aaron..." began Spencer quietly.

"Shhh..." said the older man as he brushed a lock of hair from his husband's face. "I was wrong...what I said was wrong. I just didn't expect..." he grinned. "I guess I never really considered the idea that someone would save ME one day."

Spencer turned and gave Hotch a shy smile. "I would've had nothing without you, Aaron. I would've been alone again."

Aaron put his arm carefully around his husband's shoulder, and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Never, Babe...I won't ever leave you alone."

Hearing that the two men had settled their disagreement, Rossi cleared his throat. "Are we ready, gentlemen?"

Spencer smiled and nodded. Morgan and Rossi sat on Hotch's vacant bed, and listened.

"When I saw the third man coming up from behind Hotch, I panicked. The Unsub with his hands on me was holding my throat so tight that I couldn't speak...I wanted to yell...scream. I couldn't warn you." Sounding defeated, the young genius continued. "The third Unsub grabbed Aaron from behind, and slammed his head into the building. The sound...the sound was so awful...hollow." Spencer took a deep breath and went on. "When Aaron's body hit the ground, I lost it. The second Unsub had his hand over mine, preventing me from pulling my weapon. Even though I was fairly positive that he had already crushed at least two of my metacarpals, I pulled as hard as I could...I imagine the adrenaline had kicked in by then. Just as I pulled my weapon free from it's holster, he gave one last squeeze, and the gun went off, and of course, it hit me in the leg."

Spencer's voice had become gravelly, and he motioned for the water that was sitting on the side table. Morgan got up and poured some into a cup for his friend. Spencer smiled gratefully as he continued.

"Luckily, with our training, we become accustom to the sound of gunfire. Those three, not so much. The third Unsub obviously realized that I was armed, so as soon as Aaron hit the ground, he grabbed his gun. He pointed it towards me, but at that exact moment, my weapon discharged. I was fortunate that their response was one of muscle tension, rather than a flight response. Both of the Unsubs tensed towards me at the sound of the gunshot...they actually shielded me from the third gunman...it saved my life."

Spencer cleared his throat, and took another drink of water. Aaron pulled him in tighter, for support. "The second Unsub went down, and I took that opportunity to pull one of Morgan's signature moves...I slammed my foot down on the first Unsub's instep, and used his forward momentum to throw him over my shoulder and onto the ground in front of me. Unfortunately, he chose not to let go of my hair. Subjected to the centripetal force of that particular defensive maneuver, a portion of my hair and scalp ended up following the same trajectory as the Unsub's body...he effectively scalped me."

The three other men in the room winced at the thought, and took a moment to examine the size of the wound on the young Doctor's head.

Rossi squeezed Reid's hand supportively. "What happened next, kid?"

All three profilers saw the young man tense, and turn back towards the wall. "Nothing." whispered Spencer reluctantly.

Aaron gently stroked his husband's cheek. "It's okay, Babe. We can talk about the rest later."

"There is no more..." murmured Spencer with his eyes tightly closed.

Morgan moved closer, and used his calmest voice. "Pretty Boy...I've seen the coroner's report..."

"STOP!" Yelled Reid defiantly. "THERE IS NO MORE!"

"Morgan." admonished Aaron curtly. "He's done...there is no more."

"Hotch..." said Morgan carefully, "...the guy suffocated. He had a collapsed trachea. Nothing that he's told us so far could have caused that."

Aaron turned to the young man beside him. "Spencer, Baby?"

The genius started to cry and nuzzled into his husband's chest. "I didn't mean to, Aaron...I didn't. I was just so...so angry."

"I know, Baby...you know that I know." Hotch hugged him tightly, remembering his own loss of control, as he beat Foyet to death. "But you have to tell us...there was a witness, and you can't leave anything out."

Spencer mumbled, more to himself than to the men in the room. Realizing that he couldn't be heard, he raised his head and turned towards his teammates. "I kicked him..." He looked sheepishly. "I wanted to make sure that he stayed down, so that I could check on Hotch. I meant to kick him in the face...I was hoping to maybe break his jaw." He looked at each of the men with an embarrassment in his eyes. "He licked me..." he said in a tiny voice. "...and I wanted him to hurt...but I missed, and caught him in the neck." The young agent began to sob, and buried his face in Aaron's shoulder.

"It's okay, Reid." said Rossi emphatically.

"Yea, Kid...you did good...better than good, even...you saved Hotch's life, that's what matters." Derek reached over and mussed the young man's hair gently.

Spencer smiled shyly as Aaron wiped the remaining tears from his cheeks. "Babe...you have already been cleared by both the FBI and the Arlington P.D. You didn't do anything wrong, okay?"

Spencer nodded, and visibly relaxed.

Suddenly, the hospital room door flew open, and Sean Hotchner walked in with a smile. "Damn, Bro. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find an FBI agent in a hospital? No one in the building will admit to anything. It's a good thing your friend Penelope..." Sean suddenly stopped looked around. "Oh, hey...did I interrupt a meeting or something?"

"No way Sean." said Derek with a smile. "We were just leaving...Good to see you again, Buddy."

The two men shared a fist bump as Sean continued. "Spencer? Is that you back there? Are you okay, Bro? I can get him off you if you want."

The room was filled with laughter, until the door opened once again, and Kitty Hotchner stood at the threshold of the hospital room. Aaron immediately adopted a defensive posture, and placed himself between Spencer and his mother.

"Oh, yea...I forgot to finish that part..." began Sean Hotchner. "Your friend Penelope called Mom to let her know that you and Spencer were okay...so we came right up!" Sean's guilty smile was enough to clear Rossi and Morgan out of the room quickly.

The look that the older Hotchner brother gave his mother was determined and adversarial. "Mother...why are you here?"

Kitty Hotchner deposited her purse in the closest chair, and walked towards the two men currently sharing a bed. "Aaron Hotchner...get out of that bed right now, and get yourself back into the one that your paying for!"

The senior agent began to argue, until he felt his husband grip his arm tightly. "It's okay, Hotch...It'll be fine."

Aaron shook his head in frustration, and slowly returned to his bed.

Suddenly, Kitty smiled broadly. "That is so much better. Now I can see both of you." She leaned over, and kissed Aaron lightly on the cheek, before turning to her young son-in-law. "Spencer...I was so worried about you. When I didn't hear from you last night, I was beside myself...then that odd woman called...I was on the first plane! Now let me see what those horrible men did to you."

Sean chuckled at the shocked look on his brother's face. "Now you know what bizarre, alternate-reality I have been living in for the past few hours."

Aaron stuttered as he watched his mother coo over his husband. "I don't even know...How did this...What the Hell?"

There is more to come! TBC – Reviews truly appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

_**First, I would like to apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I had an accident a couple of months ago, and haven't been able to do much sitting or typing. I would like to think that my unintentional exile will make the conclusion of this story that much better, but that remains to be seen!**_

oOo

Jessica made it to the hospital not long after Kitty and Sean had left to check into a hotel. As expected, she was accompanied by a distressed Jack Hotchner. When he saw that his father and Spencer were awake and talking, he relaxed noticeably and jumped into bed with his Dad, clutching him tightly.

The young woman smiled, then turned her attention to the young agent. "Spencer, sweetie...your friend Penelope told me about your hair..."

"What about my hair?" asked Reid in a panic, covering his head with his arms.

Jess looked at Hotch in confusion. "Didn't you tell him?"

Suddenly, Reid's face showed a look of horror, as he glanced between his husband and his pseudo sister-in-law. "Tell me what? Aaron? What didn't they tell me?"

Hotch chuckled carefully. "Babe, while you were out getting that second MRI, the nurse mentioned that in order for your scalp wound to heal properly, they were going to need to shave..."

"SHAVE? My hair?"

"Which is exactly why I had Garcia get a hold of Jessica." Aaron nodded at Jess encouragingly. "Jess worked her way through college as a hairdresser, and I thought you would be more comfortable if..."

Suddenly, Jack raised his head from his father's chest, and beamed at his step-father. "Aunt Jess cuts my hair all the time." stated Jack proudly.

Aaron closed his eyes, and smiled in embarrassment. "And your hair always looks perfect, Buddy," ruffling the boy's out of control locks gently.

Jessica saw the look of incomprehension in Spencer's eyes, and giggled. She took out her grooming supplies and moved slowly to the young man's side. "I promise, Spencer...if you let me do this, you will be much happier than if the volunteers do it. I can even give you a Mohawk, like that engineer from NASA...his look is very popular."

oOo

Jessica finished up and raised her eyebrows questioningly at Aaron. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders, before nodding towards Spencer. The young man, on the other hand was busy checking out his new hair style in a hand mirror, frowning slightly, and wincing from the pain in his broken hand as he rubbed his head.

"Babe," said Aaron carefully. "I like it a lot...but you need to quit messing with it. If they think the top is too long, they're just gonna come back in and chop it off too."

"Okay, men. Visiting hours are over, so Jack and I have to take off." said Jessica sadly.

"Aunt Jess?" asked Jack enthusiastically. "When we get home can you give me a _more hawk_ like Daddy's"

"Jack..." began Reid absentmindedly as he continued to stare into the mirror. "The proper pronunciation is Mohawk. The Mohowaùuck', or, Eaters of Flesh, as they are known, are the most easterly of the Iroquois Confederation. They..."

"Babe...he just wants a haircut. Can we save the flesh eating stories for later?"

Spencer gave an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I would be happy if you had your hair cut like mine...we could be our own Native American tribe."

Jack's grin made all of Spencer's insecurities go away. He gave the boy a tight, loving hug, and wished him goodnight. Jessica and Jack left, with the young boy making quiet war whoops as he walked down the hall.

Aaron was alone with his husband for the first time today. "Okay, Spencer...you have been putting this off all day...what happened between you and my mother?"

oOo

"I got my first letter from her a few days after Christmas. Well, it wasn't actually from her...it was from an Attorney representing the Hotchner Family."

"An Attorney?" asked Hotch carefully.

"Yes," stated Reid matter-of-factly. "With an offer...Two million dollars to agree to an annulment."

Aaron began to grit his teeth. "Two million dollars? That was quite an offer."

The smile that came over Spencer's face was priceless to Aaron. "Babe...you are worth WAY more than two million...I rejected that offer out of hand."

"Good to know...then what happened?" asked Aaron carefully, still gritting his teeth.

"Then the offer became five million."

Hotch sat up straight in his bed. "WHAT? She offered you five million to leave me?"

"Again, Babe...this offer was made through the Attorney, and it wasn't simply to divorce you, but to have our marriage annulled."

"But it was five million dollars?"

"Yes..."

"Five million..."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me? I am an attorney." asked Hotch carefully.

"Well, Babe, I imagine that if I had considered the offer, and felt the need to consult with an attorney, then you would have been the first one that I would have talked to about the intricacies of the contract. I had no intention of agreeing, so...honestly, I treated it as if it had come from my own mother..."

Aaron laughed heartily. "Okay, then what happened?"

"After the third correspondence with her Attorney...and yes, the offer did go up one more time...I convinced him that any further correspondence should be directly between Kitty and myself."

"She agreed to do the dirty work herself?"

"At that point, the offers were coming one per day."

Hotch looked at his husband in confusion. "What kind of offers?"

"If I tell you, you'll get upset."

Aaron did everything he could to control his rage. "No, Babe...I'm just trying to figure out what happened, and why you didn't tell me."

"You know that I have always had job offers from various Universities and Think-tanks...my published works aren't secrets between us. When your mother took control, the offers took on a life of their own. I was receiving offers from Europe, Asia, South America...any place that was away from you." answered Reid with a smile. "I didn't tell you, because it didn't matter. I would never, ever leave you, D.C. Or our family."

"But she was putting pressure on you."

"Of course she was...her goal was to entice me to go far, far away."

Hotch got up from his bed and began to pace, his body language belying his calming words. "I am just trying to understand..."

Spencer grinned at his husband. "Do you really think that I could ever leave you or Jack?"

"No, but that doesn't mean that..."

"Stop. There is a reason that you love me, and there is a reason that I love you. We are meant to be together. We have a love that most people don't even understand. We have a family that fits together so well, that other people can't begin to grasp...I spent the time to explain it to her."

"How is that possible?" asked Hotch in confusion.

Reid held out his arms, one still in a cast, making sure that he protected his gunshot wound before his husband climbed into bed with him. "I started writing her letters."

"Babe, that makes no sense."

oOo

Kitty Hotchner showed up at their hospital room doorway, at the appropriate moment for a perfect entrance. "Of course it does, Aaron. It makes perfect sense."

Still confused, Aaron was at a loss for words. Frustrated, he said the first thing that came out of his mouth. "Mother, visiting hours are over. How did you get in here?"

Kitty smiled. "Darling, if I can find an extremely well paying job for your husband in Iceland, then I can certainly sneak into a hospital after visiting hours? Give me some credit."

Hotch frowned at his mother. "How does a letter from my husband change your opinion about our relationship?"

Kitty Hotchner laughed heartily from the doorway. "It was definitely not one letter, but many. Has Spencer ever written you a letter?"

Hotch looked up at his mother in shocked curiosity. "Well, no...honestly, no. We are always together..."

Mrs. Hotchner smiled affectionately at the two men. "If you have never received a letter from him, I would definitely encourage it. He is a very a very talented and eloquent writer."

Spencer smiled shyly.

oOo

Kitty took a seat, and began slowly, as if recalling a dream. "It was a beautiful spring afternoon in Paris. I had plans to meet some friends at a local cafe, so when the post was delivered, I simply slipped the mail into my purse, and headed out. That day, my friends were running late, so I was relaxing over a glass of wine, waiting for their arrival." The elder woman's eyes moved upwards and to the right, as she recalled the event. "I decided to go through my mail as I waited, and the first envelope I retrieved had no return address. The postmark was from Virginia, so I immediately knew that it was a letter from one of the two of you."

Aaron turned from his mother to his husband, with a frown. "You were hoping that it was a letter informing you that Spencer had accepted one of your offers?" This was more of a statement than a question, but he knew the answer.

"Yes, Darling. That was definitely what I hoped I would find. Fortunately for me, I was utterly and completely wrong." She gave Spencer a faraway smile. "What it really was, was a gift that I didn't expect, nor deserve. It was the beginning of a love story..."

Kitty wiped a tear from her eye, and continued. "My friends never showed up that day, but I didn't even notice. I stayed at the cafe, until the sun set. I couldn't leave there until I had finished what I came to refer to as 'Chapter One'."

Aaron turned to his husband. "Babe?"

Spencer smiled, and nodded for Kitty to continue.

"I got them, one per day...never a deviation. Sometimes there were only five or six pages...other times there were fifty. I began to look forward to them...sometimes I would lock myself up in my apartment and re-read the whole series over again, in anticipation of the next chapter."

"Kitty...they were just letters." said an embarrassed Dr. Reid.

Aaron ran his hands through his lover's new Mohawk with a smile. "Shut up for a second, I want to hear the rest of this."

His Mother smiled and continued. "The basic story is about two star-crossed lovers that grew up far from each other, under very different circumstances, but living what would end up being very similar lives. Difficult childhoods...asked to be adults way too young. They suffered very different challenges, but they took control of their futures, and eventually their lives crossed."

Aaron hugged his husband tightly and smiled...he knew this story well.

Kitty continued. "Once the two lovers finally met, there were the usual obstacles...simple ones, and those that were less obvious. Life is messy, and all of its realities can be disconcerting and uncomfortable. Sometime it can also be frightening beyond belief...but it can also be beautiful."

Both men nodded in agreement.

"But what the two lovers didn't need or deserve, were people telling them that they were wrong...people that they thought would support them. It was heartbreaking...yet there were others around them that loved them...and they were happy."

"Spencer...I found your mother." said Kitty carefully.

"Kitty," said Spencer. "My mother is very ill. She really doesn't have a handle on reality..."

Kitty smiled warmly. "Spencer...your mother has a better grasp on motherhood than I ever had. No matter her situation or her health, she is unconditionally proud of you, Aaron and Jack. She had absolutely no problem in accepting her new family, while I, in turn had issues accepting my own."

Aaron could see his mother beginning to cry, and he got up from the bed to hug her tentatively.

"Mother?"

"I don't feel comfortable even allowing you to call me that, Aaron. What did I do...I rejected both Sean and you simply because you didn't perform to my expectations. I didn't even go to Haley's funeral because it was during my vacation. Who am I?"

Hotch looked into his mother's eyes. "You are the person who raised me." he said with conviction.

"I can't take credit for any of that." answered Kitty solemnly. "I have no idea who can, other than you. How did that happen? I was horrible. I saw nothing but my own social status, and how your and Sean's accomplishments could benefit my standing at the Country Club."

"Kitty?" asked Spencer tentatively. "We discussed this."

"Yes, my boy, we did. You made me see how successful both of my boys are. You made me forget what a horrible mother I was..."

"Kitty, I never, ever said that." denied Spencer emphatically.

"No, my Darling, you didn't. I came to that realization on my own. But you did make me realize that my family should have always been the most important thing in my life, but that I was always more concerned about how my friends saw me."

"Mother, that doesn't matter." answered Hotch.

"It does, Aaron." said Kitty with determination. "If you hadn't been able to see beyond my narcissism...If you had been like me, you never would have found Spencer. You never would have been able to go against everything that you were taught, and found the one perfect person...the one person that could make you whole...the person who would make you the best man that you could be."

Aaron smiled. "Mother, I have to agree...Spencer makes me a better man...always."

Spencer grinned. "All I wanted to do was make you aware of our lives and our family...we talked about it for several years before we married...we loved each other because we are what each other needs and wants...we just love being together...a family, supporting Jack and Jessica and our team.

Kitty's expression was pensive. "I would like to be part of your family. I want to know my sons...my grandchild and my son-in-law."

_Hotch voice over:_

_Cherish your human connections - your relationships with friends and family._

_Barbara Bush_


End file.
